What I already knew

I am amazed        as my heart falls

through my hands like sand trying

desperately to become more

than grains of old life

 

and I am amazed at the near-perfection

of this moment: you lying next to me, her

angled like a copper shell towards him,

him resting his shadow beneath his eyes, and

me, lying next to you.

 

This beach is dull silver, rubbed into

oil-paint and being May, Lake Michigan

promises shivers and trembling lungs--

 

so we lie and munch on crackers.

 

In a spurt of high-tide energy, I sew

my footprints in the canvas-stretched

sand and watch the lake pull my stitches

out, and then swallow the thread that's still

attached to my ankles.  This is what pulls

me into the shallows, this is when I find

the pair of bird wings, but no bird, dangling

between waves.  I forget my feet are cold

and I grab a stick from shore.  I loosen

the wings from the lake.

 

You and she and he are all testing

the air with your mouths, but I can't

hear.  The bird wings are spread

on the sand and the lake reaches

for me, ready to catch my quickly falling heart.

Author's Note

Odd how the heart often knows the truth before you allow yourself to accept it. I wrote this last May, along with a few others in the same light, and shortly after got my heart shredded apart. Being dumped sucks a lot, but brings out some interesting things.

Reviews

[Aehr]

beautiful imagery, i liked the use of pronouns as well... i loved the emotions throughout...

[dukovan]

I love your use of pronouns, and how you distort the perspectives like a reflection on a wakey lake. Based on your other pieces I've noticed your personal allegory with the lake. You are an impressive writer.

[Patrick]

It is well crafted, not too clever for its own good and able to convey feeling to the reader.

[Ceos]

A good poem, and good lesson. Thank you for writing it.

[Alicia Beavis]

You painted some lovely images with your words in this piece.

[John Fitzgerald]

now the opening stanza is just wonderful, what a beginning! not that the rest isn't sumptueously bittersweet. i adore the 'You and she and he are all testing the air with your mouths but I can't hear' line. as good as anything i've read on here. :)

[MOON]

This is so well crafted so beautifully said . The poignancy throughout the lines and the last line says it all.

[外人 (Gaiji..]

Wow, the whole poem is a series of enjambements ! I haven't seen many poets here using that amazing, yet too often forgotten, figure of speech and you did it splendidly ! Great job =D

[Paul R. Watson]

Beautiful! I love it! The imagery is so full and spectacular. Awesome!

[allie_arrowz]

very pretty images.